hanging scroll;
painting
- Museum number
- 1913,0501,0.308
- Description
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Painting, hanging scroll. Six Immortal Poets in historical costume seated beneath furled court blind. Ink and slight colour on paper. Signed and sealed.
- Production date
- 1804-1818 (c.)
- Dimensions
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Height: 116 centimetres
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Width: 50 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- Clark 1992
The Six Immortal Poets ('Rokkasen') were six poets of the early Heian period, first grouped together and critically appraised by Ki no Tsurayuki in the preface to the early tenth-century Imperial anthology 'Kokin waka shu' ('Collection of Poems Past and Present'). Though in several cases only the barest details of their biographies are known, revered as they were by later generations as the archetypal classical poets, legends about them abound, and they were assimilated widely into popular culture in paintings and prints and even as characters in historical Kabuki plays. Ukiyo-e depictions are often humorous, sometimes with characters from contemporary society such as famous courtesans and 'kyoka' poets shown in the guise of the famous six.
In this large, fluidly composed scroll Hokuba shows the six poets in historical costume seated beneath a furled court blind, but in some decidedly odd poses -each apparently oblivious of the other. The most dignified, seated at the rear, is Funya no Yasuhide, with Ariwara no Narihira, the celebrated lover, dressed in hunting costume leaning forward beside him. Otomo no Kuronushi, the villain of so many Kabuki pieces and dressed appropriately in black, is seen seated from the rear, while Ono no Komachi, her long hair combed out over twelve-layered brocade robes, is shown in profile. Bishop Henjo, with shaved head and ecclesiastical garb, racks his brains as he leans forward on his fan, while Kisen Hoshi seems to crawl forward with a pained expression on his face!
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1913
- Acquisition notes
- The collection of Japanese and Chinese paintings belonging to Arthur Morrison was purchased by Sir William Gwynne-Evans, who presented it to the British Museum in 1913.
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- 1913,0501,0.308
- Additional IDs
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Asia painting number: Jap.Ptg.1489 (Japanese Painting Number)
